UNIVERSIDAD PEDAGÓGICA Y TECNOLÓGICA DE COLOMBIA VICERRECTORÍA ACADÉMICA

INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS

Guía para el desarrollo de clases virtuales

GUIDE ENGLISH III WEEKS TOPIC

1 8104889 2-3 *Past continuous
*Past simple vs Past continuous

TEACHER:

OBJECTIVES

● To identify the structure and uses of the past simple and past continuous tense.
● To integrate the tenses studied in order to engage in short written or spoken interactions.
● To be able to describe and talk about personal or general past experiences or events using the past simple and past
continuous tense.

DEAR STUDENT:

Welcome to this new level! This guide presents a detailed explanation of two past tenses, the past simple tense, and the past
continuous tense. This topic will be very useful for you, especially when telling others about experiences you have had. So please,
get ready for this topic! Remember that your teacher will always help you out if you have any problems so do not forget about
getting in touch with him/her.

1. Introduction

Before starting our topic, take some time to answer the following questions, do not use a translator, and try to reflect on your
answers:

*Vocabulary you might not know*

Before: Antes After: Después Hate: Odiar To be bothered: Incomodar/preocupar Life changing: Algo que cambia tu vida
Midterm recess: Receso de mitad de semestre/año Few: Pocos Ago: hace)

A. Before the pandemic started, what was your opinion about COVID-19?

B. Do you like, hate, or are not bothered by being on quarantine? Why?

C. Was COVID-19 a life changing experience for you and your family? Tell me why?
 D. What were you doing in your midterm recess three years ago?

E. What did you do in the recess we had a few days ago?

2. Appropriation

In the previous sentences, there were 4 questions that used a form of the past tense and 1 question using the present simple tense.
Can you identify which questions were written in the past simple tense and which question was written in the present simple tense?

QUESTIONS IN THE PAST TENSE QUESTIONS IN THE PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE

The four sentences in the past tense chart were written either in the past simple tense or in the past continuous tense. Look at the
following explanation to help you identify which sentences were written in either the past simple tense or the past continuous tense.

PAST SIMPLE TENSE PAST CONTINUOUS

USES

● It shows actions that happened in the past.
E.g. When I was at school, I really enjoyed my drawing
classes.
● It usually shows actions that have already finished.
E.g. The scientists working in the coronavirus vaccine found
different options to help the body fight the virus.
● It usually shows actions that have also finished but
were “in progress” at some point in the past.
E.g. In 2019, the scientists working in the coronavirus
vaccine were trying to find a quick treatment that helped
us fight this virus.
● It shows activities that were in progress for some
time, and not just for a moment.

E.g. We were cleaning the house all morning.

GRAMMAR STRUCTURE
Affirmative sentences
 ● Remember
Remember that affirmative sentences would be all that affirmative sentences would be all of those in which we make statemen
of those in which we make statements:

E.g. I really liked the meat, it was very tender and juicy.
E.g. I was eating the meat quickly because I didn’t want to
share my fillet with Molly
● In the past simple tense, we need to use the verbs

In the past continuous tense, we use the past tense of the verb to be (was/were) and a verb

in the sentences in the past tense. Remember that

in English we have: Tip: Remember that we always use subjects (I, you he, she,
it, we, you, they, names etc.) in our sentences.

1. Regular verbs (cleaned, worked, studied,

E.g. Last week, Carlos was teaching his mom to learn how to
loved, attended, waited, cooked, received,
drive a car.
learned etc.)
E.g. I couldn’t go to the party because I was working.
2. Irregular verbs (Do � Did, Eat � Ate, Go �
E.g. Catalina was living in Cartagena two years ago.
Went, Cut � Cut, Read � Read, Lose �
Lost, To be (am/is/are) � Was/Were, Have/
**Some of the rules that we follow for -ing verbs are the
Has � Had etc.)
following**

When using your verbs in affirmative sentences, remember - Verbs ending in -e (take, have, bite, joke, hide,
we add only one verb in the past simple tense.
hope, vote etc.)

Tip: Remember that we always use subjects (I, you he, she,
Take�Taking Bite�Biting Hide�Hiding
it, we, you, they, names etc.) in our sentences.
Have�Having Joke�Joking Hope�Hoping Vote�Voting

E.g. We visited our family last year.

- Verbs ending in -ee (agree, see, disagree,
E.g. Luis and Angela ate all the cake that was in the fridge.
guarantee etc.)
E.g. Sally had a problem with our friends because they
were
rude to the new teacher. Agree�Agreeing See�Seeing Disagree�Disagreeing
Guarantee�Guaranteeing
**Remember that we need to learn the tenses of the verbs by
heart (de memoria) because we cannot guess if a verb is - Verbs with a vowel between two consonants (get,
regular or irregular, check the list attached in this guide** begin, hit, run, stop, put etc.)

Get�Getting Begin�Beginning Hit�Hitting


GRAMMAR STRUCTURE
Negative sentences
● When creating negative sentences in the past
simple tense, remember that we have
negative sentences with the verb to be or
negative sentences with other verbs.
1. Negative sentences with the verb to be:
E.g. Camila was not happy with her exam results.
Run�Running Stop�Stopping Put�Putting
- Verbs ending in -y (play, fly, study, cry, try etc.)
Play�Playing Fly�Flying Study�Studying
Cry�Crying Try�Trying
- Verbs ending in -ie (die, lie, tie, etc.)
Die�Dying Lie�Lying Tie�Tying
IMPORTANT!!
Remember that some verbs are considered “stative” which
means that, as they are states, they cannot be temporary and
used with -ing. (E.g. Hate, like, love, prefer, want, seem,
taste, agree, disagree, believe etc.)
E.g. She was hating our ideas for the project last year.
(Incorrect ☹)
□ She hated our ideas for the project last year. (Correct
😊😊)
E.g. I was liking my new car that’s why I bought it (Incorrect
☹)
□ I liked my new car that’s why I bought it. (Correct 😊😊)
E.g. My friends were loving my tomato soup recipe.
(Incorrect ☹)
□ My friends loved my tomato soup recipe. (Correct 😊😊)
● When creating negative sentences in the past
continuous tense, we use (was/were) and a verb
with -ing.
E.g. They weren’t listening to me.
E.g. She wasn’t bullying the new guy.
E.g. We were not playing with your sister at 10:00.
E.g. I was not walking to the hospital yesterday.
E.g. They were not French people.
E.g. He wasn’t 34 years old.
E.g. Dani and Peter weren’t at the hospital yesterday night.

2. Negative sentences with other verbs:

E.g. My children did not break your window.
E.g. The company didn’t pay the wages of the workers

**Remember in the past simple tense we use the auxiliary

did not or didn’t to make negative sentences. After this
auxiliary verb, we use the next verb in the present simple
tense**
GRAMMAR STRUCTURE
Questions

● When creating questions or interrogative
sentences in the past simple tense, remember that
we have questions with the verb to be or question
with other verbs.
1. Questions with the verb to be:
E.g. Were you happy when you met your dad?
E.g. Why was she sad?
E.g. Was he fat when he was a child?
● When creating interrogative sentences in the past
continuous tense, we use (was/were) and a verb
with -ing.
E.g. Was she lying to you?
E.g. Why were James and Alana arguing?
E.g. What was the most challenging moment in your life?
E.g. What were you doing yesterday at night?

2. Question with other verbs:

E.g. Did you find your cat?
E.g. When did the company call you?
E.g. What face did she make when she saw you?

**Similar to negative sentences, we use the auxiliary did to

make interrogative sentences. After this auxiliary verb, we
use the next verb in the present simple tense**

● Remember there are some questions that do not

use the auxiliary verb did. Those questions are
special in English and highly depend on the verb or
information we want to learn when asking them.
E.g. Who painted the Mona Lisa?
(You cannot say Who did paint the Mona Lisa? ☹ because
as we don’t who the artist was, which means that we don’t
have a subject for the question, we can use the verb directly
in the past simple tense after using the word who)

E.g. What happened at the end of the film?

(You can’t say What did happen at the end of the film? ☹
because this verb can be used directly in its past form as,
once again, we don’t have a subject in our question, rather
we want to know about an action or situation that is
unknown)

E.g Which team won the championship?

(You can’t say Which team did win the championship? ☹
because the verb can be used directly in its past simple form
in the question and we don’t have a specific subject, we want
to know the result of something)

GRAMMAR STRUCTURE
Past simple and Past continuous used within the same sentence

● We can use the past simple tense and the past continuous tense within the same sentence. In this case, the past
simple tense shows an action that happen in the middle of other that was in progress (past continuous).

E.g. While I was taking a shower, the telephone rang.

E.g We were writing our final paper when the power went off.

*Note that in the previous sentences, we are using two expressions, while and when. They are frequently used to show that
an action was in progress when other interrupted it. These expressions can be used at the beginning or in the middle of our
sentences, make sure you use commas in the middle of the sentence if you use when or while at the beginning.
I suddenly felt sleepy while I was studying.
I broke my leg when I was skiing.
When she arrived home, I was cooking dinner.

**Remember that it is not necessary to use the present continuous and the past simple in the same sentence. Sometimes, we
can use both sentences in the past simple or the past continuous tense. It all depends on what we want to say**
 I was doing the homework while my mom was talking to my teacher. (Past continuous - Past continuous) They arrived when it started ra

3. Practice

a. Complete the following sentences using the verbs in brackets () in their appropriate form. Write the verbs in the past
simple tense and check the verb list sent if you are not sure about their appropriate form. Remember that if a verb is not in
the irregular verb list, it is automatically a regular verb.

o When I _ up this morning, it was snowing. (Wake)

o She was sleeping when you _ her. (Call)
o Camila she wanted to quit her job because she was not happy with it. (Say)
o We _ her parents about her problems at school. She needs some help. (Tell)
o They their English class at 10:21 this morning. (Start)
o Carlos _ his ankle while he was running. (Hurt)
o I _ there is a new shopping center just around the corner, do you want to go shopping with me? (Notice)
o Edgar _ not very happy with the new secretary. However, he had to get used to her because she had a contract
for a whole year. (To be)

b. The following sentences need a verb using the -ing form as they were all written in the past continuous tense. Look at the
verbs in brackets to complete the sentences, and check the rules before noting them down in their appropriate form:

o While I was home, I saw a giant bear escaping from the zoo. (Walk)
o This time last year, I was also virtual classes. (Have)
o At 6 p.m. yesterday, it was already _ dark. (Get)
o Lucy saw Alex when he was _ home after work. (Drive)
o I saw you yesterday, where were you ? (Go)
o What were you at around 8 a.m. this morning? (Do)
o While I was the dishes, my mom was dinner. (Wash/Cook)
o My brother was _ to loud music when his friends arrived home so he could not hear the doorbell. (Listen)

c. Can you identify which tense goes in the blank space? Remember that your answer must be either in the past simple or past
continuous tense.

o They _ the shop when I got there, so I couldn't go in and buy anything.
a) Already closed
b) Were already closing
o The teacher told us to stop what we .
a) Did
b) Were doing
o what you were looking for in the library yesterday?
a) Did you find
b) Were you finding
o When I heard the phone ring, I it straight away.
a) Answered
 b) Was answering
o I to answer his question when he shouted at me.
a) Tried
b) Was trying
o We _ our trip to the mountains because we could spend time together.
a) Enjoyed
b) Were enjoying
o While I arrived, my mom _ her favorite show on Netflix.
a) Watched
b) Was watching
o Nicolas very hard to finish his projects for university last year. It was a difficult term, but he did it.
a) Worked
b) Was working

d. Look at the following sentences and decide whether they should have a negative past simple or past progressive tense
form:

o Last year, I _ to go running every day because I hurt my knee. So, I went running only a few days a week
because I missed doing exercise. (Try)
o Molly and her boyfriend _ a crazy wedding cake. It was her mother who thought it would be cool. (Design)
o In January 2019, Sophia _ in touch with her therapist every day. It wasn’t really good for her recovery. (Get)
o My sister _ isolated when people discovered she might have had the covid-19 virus. (To be)
o Lucy the truth in that meeting. One day, the boss will catch her lying. (Tell)
o The guy at the bar us in because the bar was already full. (Let)
o She _ that bad when her boyfriend broke up with her. (Cry)
o My father _ interviewed when the accident happened. (To be)

e. Look at the answers and write the best question for each one of them:

✔ Yes, it was a good movie.

�
✔ The most difficult of living in Tunja was getting used to its weather.
�
✔ My grandfather was a really tall guy.
�
✔ They were playing with their cousin when they broke the vase.
�
✔ No, Paula did not need to buy a new car.
�
✔ I was so angry with him because all this time he was lying to me.
�
✔ She was not reading her assignments for university; I was doing it for her!
�
✔ I thought bungee jumping would be a great idea for our summer vacation.
�

**If needed, check out these links for further explanations on how to use each of these grammar topics**
- Past simple: https://youtu.be/q3JE4ElweDE
- Past continuous: https://youtu.be/etvW0FOD_so
- Past simple vs past continuous: https://youtu.be/VLj-Dbz-CWk

Look at the following animals, write their names using the vocabulary in brackets:
(Giant Panda, Siamese Crocodile, Antiguan racer, Humboldt Penguin)

Listen to the interview of Jenny Daltry, a herpetologist and explorer, based on her interview, choose the correct answer in the
following questions:
*Herpetologist: someone who specializes in the study of reptiles and amphibians*
 Audio 1.mp3

Jenny Daltry

1. What amazing thing did Jenny Daltry do?

a. She discovered a group of Siamese crocodiles.
b. She found a new kind of bird in Cambodia.
c. She helped scientists protect panda bears.
2. What was her biggest challenge?
a. Walking through marshes
b. Avoiding dangerous snakes
c. Educating people about crocodiles
3. How did she achieve her goal?
a. She explained that crocodiles are important to the marshes.
b. She explained that crocodiles are not really dangerous.
c. She explained that crocodiles are extinct.

Listen to the interview one more time and answer the following questions:

1. How many crocodiles are in the largest group?

2. How many acres are now protected by the government?
3. How do most people feel about crocodiles?
4. What was Jenny Daltry doing when she found out about the Antiguan racer snake?

Taken and adapted from World English 2 Ed. (2015). National Geographic Learning, Cengage learning .
Did you know that some of the products or services that we have today were at some point invented by accident? Read the
following chart in which you are going to find three elements that were discovered accidentally.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES PENICILLIN Coca-Cola®

Nearly one hundred years In 1928, Alexander Fleming John Pemberton was trying
ago, a lady called Ruth was growing bacteria in Petri to make a cure for
Wakefield was making dishes. Bacteria are tiny headaches when he
cookies when she ran out living things – some of them invented Coca-Cola®. For
of cooking chocolate. make people ill. One of the eight years it was only sold
dishes accidentally got some
Cooking chocolate melts in chemist shops. But it
mould in it. He noticed that
and makes the cookies all became so popular that it
the bacteria didn’t grow
brown and chocolatey. She was put in bottles and
close to the mould. The
didn’t give up and used a mould is now used as a
made available
different type of chocolate medicine, called ‘penicillin’. everywhere. It eventually
instead, called ‘semi- It can kill bacteria. You may became the best- selling
sweet’ chocolate. But it have taken some, if you’ve fizzy drink in the world.
didn’t melt. Mrs ever been poorly with an The recipe is still a closely
Wakefield had accidentally infection. You can’t actually guarded secret, but you can
invented the chocolate chip make penicillin yourself, but always make your own
cookie! She sold the recipe you can investigate the fizzy drinks if you want to
to Nestlé in exchange for a growth of bacteria and experiment a little.
lifetime supply of chocolate moulds in Petri dishes.
chips.

Taken and adapted from www.britishscienceweek.org

Based on the previous reading activity, answer the following questions:

Try to answer the questions with what you understood from each of the texts, do not copy and paste sections from them.

1. What was Ruth Wakefield doing when she invented the chocolate chip cookies?
2. How did Alexander Fleming invent penicillin?

3. What was Coca-Cola® originally used for?

4. From the previous three accidental discoveries, which one surprised you the most? Why?

5. When you were a child, what was a “discovery” you made without other people telling you about it?
(Think of the first time you learned how to tie your shoelaces, think of the first time you learned to use a sharpener, etc. or
inventions you thought were revolutionary and necessary for you or other people)

6. If you had the chance to invent or create something new, what would it be?

Choose one of the following topics and tell the class about it:

- Accidental inventions or discoveries

- Inventions that are useful in your field of study or degree
- What do the current COVID-19 vaccines do to your body?
- What is an invention that you consider necessary, and we do not have yet?
- What is an invention that they have in other countries, and we need to have here in Colombia?

Try to use the past simple and past continuous tense, if possible, and other topics studied in previous English levels. give details,
explanations or examples from your personal experience or your personal opinion.

Do you feel that you could not understand this topic and need extra practice on it?

Go to the following links to practice a little bit more this topic:

https://agendaweb.org/verbs/past-continuous-past-simple-exercises.html

https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/past-simple-past-continuous-exercise-1.html

https://www.superprof.es/apuntes/idiomas/ingles/gramatica-inglesa/verb-tense/exercises-past-simple-and-past-continuous-ii.html

https://www.esl-lounge.com/student/grammar/2g50-past-simple-or-past-continuous-worksheet.php